United States’ Melissa Gonzalez, center, cries after her team lost 2-1 against Germany during a women’s field hockey quarterfinal match at 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016.
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The Netherlands’ quest for an unprecedented third straight gold medal put them in Germany’s path on Wednesday. I think we’ve never beaten them in an official tournament.
Germany has a deep roster to look to, but team captain Moritz Furste has been the towering force for the team.
Argentina caused the biggest sensation in Olympics men’s hockey competition on Tuesday by ousting two-time defending champions Germany 5-2 in the semi-finals.
McAleese told Radio Sport’s Martin Devlin: “The disappointing thing is we didn’t handle the pressure so well especially when they went to 11 field players”.
Despite the dominance the USA showed in pool play, it was the Germans who took control from the opening whistle and maintained possession for the majority of the game.
“We came into the tournament hopeful of getting onto the podium”, United States coach Craig Parnham said.
Goals from Joaquin Menini (36th) and Lucas Vila (47th) minute ensured that the match became out of reach of world No.3 Germany, the second most successful team in Olympics men’s hockey history.
In Thursday’s final, Argentina will face the victor of the semi-final clash between in-form Belgium and the Netherlands, the London 2012 silver medallists.
Jerome Truyens scored on a rebound off of Belgium’s penalty corner attempt.
Even after the 10-minute break, the script didn’t change for the Argentines. “We had three corners in the first part of the game and then we scored three from three so it was good”, he said. Its only Olympic medal was a bronze in 1984 in Los Angeles.
Australia started brightly, dominating the opening period, but were unable to convert their chances and it was the Kiwis who scored first through Anita McLaren’s pinpoint penalty corner conversion. Despite pressing the Dutch within their own 23 for the last eight minutes, Argentina could not get off a shot, leaving them out of the Olympic medals for the first time in 20 years.
“We just had to believe in ourselves, execute the game plan and chase”. We put the goalkeeper off and tried what we had to do, but it was too late. “They make every second count”.
Menini’s 35th minute goal was the pick of the bunch for an Argentina team who will win their first medal in men’s hockey. “The players have given everything they got”.
The Netherlands could only score one goal and had to rely on the steady production of Mink Van der Weerden.
“Now we are doing the flawless tournament, the tournament for life and it’s at the right moment, at the Olympics”.
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“We have got stronger and stronger in the tournament”, Germany midfielder Hannah Kruger said. “That’s what we have to think about this evening, and from tonight, we have to focus on this game”.
